Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-19

the dead sailors were stripped naked, kicked
about the decks and mutilated in the mos
horrible manner, and then flung overheard
At the very first splash we saw at least 6
dozen sharks make for the spot, and after
that their dorsal fins were cutting the water
in every direction.
tell YOU we were an excited lot when the
blacks got possession Of the brig, and our cap
tain soon realized that he had made great
mistake in not helping the Spaniard to put
down the outbreak, SLAYER though he was
The negroes could not distinguish between
friend and foe-Spaniard and Englishman.
The fact Of the two crafts lying so close
together was proof to them that both were
slavers and their victory aboard the brig
encouraged them to go further. 1t wasn't
long before we became convinced that they
meant to attack the bark. One of them
stood On the rail and harangued the crowd
for few minutes, pointing our way and
gesticulating fiercely, and there was more
order aboard after that.
As l told you before, three Of the briggs
crew escaped instant death by running aloft,
where they were for the time forgotten.
They went as high as they could go, and
concealed themselves as well as possible
They dared not shout to us, but they i'm
plored Us by gestures to come to their relief.
After the harangue, the drift of which they
seemed to understand. they motioned us that
the blacks supposed the bark to be loaded
with slaves, also, and that we would be
attacked in an effort to set them free. They
also gave us to understand that the negroes
had score of muskets, and knew how to use
them. and we could easily understand that a
sharp cutlass in the hands of desperate
black would be wicked weapon.
'Down with you, lads, and prepare to de-
fend the ship with your lives" called our
captain, and every man responded with will
ingness.
AS l told you, we had no firearms of any
consequence. Everything which could be
used as missile or weapon was speedily
gathered, and every utensil in which water
could be heated was placed on the stove in
the cooks galley. We opened the mdship
matches and broke out Of the cargo lot of
English pressed brick, which had been Or
dered by a contractor at the Cape. They
weighed about five pounds each, and we piled
up 600 or more at different points on the
deck. We were still handling the bricks when
| the blacks suddenly remembered the three
sailors in the rigging of the brig, and eight
amazed at the circumstance, but there was
no sea on, the fellows were probably cert
| forest climbers, and there was noth;.-., so
very wonderful in their going aloft. he
sailors called out to our captain for { DDS
| sake to come to their relief, and he answered
| them that our own position was SO full Of
peril that he did not dare send off a boat
The blacks were very agile fellows and as
fhnv hQ hot fba
latter were preparing to leap into the sea-
The idea was appalling, not only on account
of the great height but those wicked dorsal
fins were cutting the water all about the
slave ship in way to make US SILVER The
moment finally came when the first sailor
dropped from the end of yard, and he was
speedily followed by his companions. Each
struck the water with an awful splash, went
out of sight and nothing further vas seen of
them. Ii they were stunned by the fall SO
much the better.
1t was about o'clock in the afternoon when
the blacks made ready to attack us. The brig
had three boats which they could get at, and
each boat was crowded with men. They had
mlskets, cutlasses, capstan bars, Delaying
pins, and other weapons, and while they were
making preparations they kept up yelling
and whooping which would have done credit
to Indians Those who were to remain aboard
detied and tainted us and evidently consid-
cred US certain victims. 1 don't think any
man of us felt what people call fear as we
saw the three boats leave the brig and pull
toward US, but we could be forgiven for doubt
ing whether we had the strength to beat them
off. The boats kept together, and it was evil
dent that they meant to board on the same
side. This was the better for us. Our bricks
and other weapons were hastily moved, and
while we were at this work the captain stood
on the rail and shouted to the blacks and
warned them to keep Off In hopes some Of
them might understand English, he called out
our nationality and said we were their friends
and would help them back to the coast. The
answer to this was shot from a musket, and
the bullet whistled so close to the captains
head that he lost no time in getting Off the
rail We saw then that we had got to fight,
and we We're as ready as we could be when
they laid us aboard. Fortunately for us they
had no strategy about them, but the three
boats pulled together for our bows and hooked
ON in crowd The bark had very high bull
warks, and the blacks, who were armed with
musketS, could do us no damage. We had
but one point to defend, and a score of brick
bats and a couple of pals of hot water took
the sand out of the crowd pretty quick. In
three minutes after getting under our bows,
they realized that they had cut out larger
job than they could manage. and they were
well scalded set as they let go and pulled back
to the brig.
Three-fifths of the crowd had been left on
board and the failure of the attack was
greeted with such yells as mortal man never
heard before. The boats were not hauled up
at ALL and the beaten blacks were no sooner
got aboard the brig than terrific fight took
place, which did not stop until twenty-five Or
thirty people had been knocked on the head
and flung over to the sharks. An hour before
shutdown the boats were filed with men again
to attack us, but there was great jabbering
and gesticulating, and the plan was aband-
oned Just at shutdown the calm was broken,
though the breeze which reached us was q
light one. The captain weighed all the Cir
cumstances in his mind, no doubt, and he
came to the conclusion that it was the best
way for US to continue our journey and hope
to fall il with cruiser. The blacks set up
bowls of vengeance as we made sail, and that
we could not have made friends with them
was proved by tie fire of muskets which they
kept up until we We're out of hearing. The
brig was turning round and round on her
heel when we last saw her, and some of the
blacks were aloft trying to loosen the sails.
Thirty hours later we met II. II. S. Defiance,
and gave her captain the brigs bearings; but
it was a full year before learned any further
particulars. After cruise of week the De-